08/14/2015

Dear Friend,

Eighty years ago today, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law. This landmark legislation created an economic safety net that has benefited millions of Americans across the country. Today, it provides income security to more than 1.1 million people in Washington, including more than 105,000 in the First Congressional District.

Social Security has long been a lifeline for our middle class, and I am committed to strengthening and protecting it for future generations. Earlier this year, I helped introducethe FAIR Social Security Act to scrap the income contribution cap on the wealthiest Americans, keeping Social Security solvent for more than 40 years — just by making everyone pay their fair share. I also support efforts to safeguard the Trust Fund and ensure funds aren’t used for any other purposes.

Additionally, we must fight to ensure Social Security continues to provide a meaningful level of income security for our seniors. Right now, annual cost-of-living-adjustments (COLAs) in Social Security aren’t based on seniors’ actual buying habits, reducing their purchasing power over time. That’s why this legislation would improve COLAs by using a formula that reflects seniors’ actual costs, like food, housing and prescription drugs.

Unfortunately, the program continues to face attacks in Congress. Last year, more than 130 of my colleagues voted to raise the retirement age and weaken COLAs for seniors. Even worse, a provision was added to the House rules in January that may reduce Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits by 20 percent unless Congress acts. I strongly oppose these proposals and I’ll keep standing up to ensure we don’t break our promise to seniors, who have paid for and earned their benefits.

Improving retirement security for our seniors is a top priority of mine. I am committed to ensuring seniors and Americans with disabilities can rely on this critical safety net for another 80 years.

As always, my office is here to serve you. If you have questions or comments about the topics that matter most to you, I encourage you to contact me through my website. You may also keep up-to-date on what I’m doing by following me on Twitter, Instagramand Facebook. If you need assistance dealing with a federal agency, such as the IRS or the VA, please do not hesitate to contact my Bothell office at (425) 485-0085.


Sincerely,

Suzan